Giving back to others through art
George and Emmy Wedberg are both skilled with their hands and have a passion for volunteering.
In their retirement, they both have taken their hobbies to the next level.
About 30 years ago, George was visiting the Montgomery County Fair when he saw a demonstration that caught his eye.
“A man was creating a wood sculpture with a chisel and mallet, and it kind of resonated with me,” George said.
Now, since he retired from a career in information technology project management, he uses his spare time to create abstract wood sculptures with recycled wood.
“It’s all found wood,” George said, adding that he asks neighbors and others when trees fall or are taken down if he can have some logs for his carvings.
George and Emmy have lived at Ingleside at King Farm since 2016 and are both very active in the community. They recently established a Charitable Life Income agreement with Westminster Ingleside Foundation utilizing a portion of their refundable entry fee.
Emmy said that Ingleside was the perfect fit for their lifestyle.
She has been on the Volunteer Committee and the Welcome Committee, a librarian for the Chamber Singers, and a Floor Leader for three years. Outside of Ingleside, she has loved being a volunteer for her daughter who is a teacher in her second-grade classroom and was also a volunteer for 10 years at Hospice Caring. She also leads the Ingleknits club using her knitting skills to organize volunteers to make items for the homeless and for the Ingleside at King Farm Annual Bazaar.
“We did due diligence. We looked at many options and every time we stepped in the door here the atmosphere, from the staff to the residents, was very warm,” Emmy said.
George is on the Healthcare Committee and the Quality Life and Care Committee. He is currently working on the Culture Change initiative in the IKF healthcare neighborhoods.
When it came to giving back through a Charitable Life Income donation, he said the decision was easy.
“We asked that the money we donated be used for the Resident Supporting Fund and for the Scholarship Fund for the employees. It seemed like a good way to make use of money sitting there idly and it provides us with increased income and a great tax deduction,” George said.